Humidifying apparatus or the like



R'. R. MCMATH 2,002,294

- HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS OR THE LIKE4 May 21, 1935.

Filed .July 29, 1952 3 Y l/vrEm/rrE/ vr WMI/Ye switch/ INVENT'OR. ROBERT RMGMATH ATTORNY.

Patented May 2l, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to humidifers or devices employed for supplying water vapor to the atmphere of heated living apartments, homes,

, work-rooms, or the like.

As is well known, water vapor content, known as humidity of the atmosphere is ordinarily graded on a scale of one hundred, in which 100 represents the dew point, and zero represents dry air. vMedical and laboratory research has determined that the most healthful condition exists, as regards the Welfare of human beings, when the humidity ofthe air does not fall below approximately 45 on this scale. It is also preferable that it should not rise above about 65, as when this percentage is exceeded to any great extent, objectionable condensation of water occurs on colder objects, such as windows and pipes. It has long been known that anv insuflicient amount ofv humidity in artificially heated `living quarters tends to increase susceptibility "s to colds and throat troubles and therefore many devices rand methods have been devised to supply the needed water vapor. Such devices and methods as have heretofore been proposed however, are subject to many objections, such as the necessity for too frequent attention, refilling of water containers, etc.; failure to supply suflicient water vapor or excessive supply.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved construction of a humidifier which is capable of being accurately adjusted to supply exactly the correct amount of water vapor to maintain the humidity within the desired limits. 4

Another object is to provide a humidifier by means of which the required amount of water vapor is periodically ejected into the atmosphere automatically and in the form of water vapor,

' i. e. steam, thus insuring a more rapid and complete diifusion of such vapor throughout the atinosphere.

A further object is to provide a humidifier especially designed and adapted for use with domestic heating plants, such as are now in extensive use, which employ oil or gas for fuel.

Another object is to provide an apparatus to be incorporated in a heating plant of the type set forth in which the admission of Water to the humidifier to be converted into steam -is primarily controlled by the electrical control system for the oil or gas heating unit.

A further object is to provide in such an apparatus a secondary water admission control capable of being readily adjusted in accordance with the size, viz., cubic contents, of the quarters to be supplied with water vapor and also in accordance with the heat at which such quarters are maintained.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the character described which will be 0f simple inexpensive construction, easy of installation, either with new or existing equipment and which when installed will not include the presence of 'obtrusiva unsightly, or unattractive parts in the living quarters.

The above and other objects of the present invention will appear more fully from the followingmore detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof,

wherein is shown, by way of example, a satisfactory commercial embodiment of the invention.

'Ihe drawing shows an elevation of the invention, with portions thereof broken away and inV section.

As shown in the drawing, the numeral I Il indicates a furnace which may be of any` suitable construction. As the present invention is particularly adapted for use with a furnace equipped with an oil or gas burner, I have shown the furnace as provided with a heating unit or burner II actuated by an electric motor I2.

Electric current is supplied to the motor I2 from the electric lead lines I3, I4, leading from any suitable source of electric current, and under the control of a thermostat I5, connected by the wires I6, I1, I8 in series circuit with the motor I2 and lead lines I3, I4, all in accordance with the usual constructions.

Suitably supported within the rebox of the furnace I0 is a closed steel drum or vaporizer I9, preferably held rigidly in place by means of an inlet pipe 20 and an outlet pipe 2|, said inlet and outlet pipes passing through suitable apertures in the walls of the furnace, and communicating at their inner ends, with 'the interior of the vapcrizer I9, and thereto secured by welding, or in any other suitable way. Water is supplied to the vaporizer through the Water inlet pipe 20 from any suitable source of water under pressure, for

example the ordinary household water supply line, the numeral 22v indicating a waterl pipe line leading to such supply. A strainer or scale trap 23 is preferably inserted between the inlet pipe 20 and water pipe 22. The incoming water passes throughthe strainer and into an electrically controlled water inlet valve 24, the purpose of which will be later described. Interposed between the water valve 24 and the vaporizer is a small reservoir 25. The outlet pipe 2I communicates with a riser pipe 26, which terminates in a diffuser nozzle 21, placed at a convenient location in the floor of the quarters to be supplied with water vapor, for example, in the hall of a house, or in the main living room, the riser 26 preferably being jacketed with asbestos 28 or other insulating material.

The water inletV control valve 24 which is of standard construction and the details of which form `no part of the present invention is preferably of the type wherein the valve is opened iny connected across the circuit to the motor I2 by the wires 30, 3 I; the water control valve 24 being connected by means of an electric cable, indicated by the reference character 35, and which may be of any suitable construction.

The manner in which the apparatus functions is as follows:

The burner motor I2 being connected to a source of electricity and under control of the thermostat I5, the motor will be energized to operate the burner whenever the temperature of the room wherein the thermostat is located falls below the degree for which the thermostat is set. When the thermostat operates to close the circuit to the motor, the current also flows to the water Valve control switch 29 and as a result the valve 24 will be opened intermittently according to its adjusted setting to permit water to ow from the supply pipe 22, to the inlet pipe 20, the water first passing through the strainer 23. The reservoir 25 is interposed between the valve 24 and inlet pipe 20 for the purpose of checking the force of the jet passing through the valve 24 to the vaporizer and to insure that the flow of water to the vaporizer will be relatively slow, thereby avoiding too sudden cooling of the walls of the vaporizer and also to facilitate quicker vaporiza, tion.

The vaporizer I9 is located preferably adjacent to the rear wall of the furnace boiler and relatively close to the burner IIl so that the flames from the latter will impinge against the outer walls of said vaporizer and heat it to a degree suicient to cause the water admitted thereto to be converted into steam. The steam generated in the vaporizer passes through the outlet pipe 2| through the riser 26 and is ejected through the diffuser nozzle 21 to be spread or diffused thereby into the surrounding atmosphere.

As the water valve switch 29 is connected in shunt with the line to the motor no current will flow to said switch when the burner motor circuit is opened and consequently the water valve 24 will not be opened and no water will flow to the vaporizer except at such times as the burner is actually in operation and the vaporizer is being heated.

The intermittent water valve switch 29 may be of any suitable construction, of which there are a number obtainable in the open market and which includes means for adjusting the time intervals between its closing of the circuit to actuate the water valve 24, and when an installation of the humidifying system herein disclosed is made the switch 29 is adjusted in accordance with the cubic contents of the quarters whose atmospheric humidity is to be controlled.

As the admission of the water is primarily controlled by the opening. and closing of the thermostatic switch of the burner system, the amount of water vaporized and diffused will be in accordance with the temperature control effected by the thermostat, so that if the thermostat is adjusted for a lower room temperature, the burner will not be in operation as frequently or as long as when higher room temperatures are desired and as the amount of water vapor needed for ideal humidity conditions varies as the tern-I perature, a variation of the setting of the thermostat results in producing acorresponding variation in the amount of water vapor supplied.

Should it be found that the apparatus is supplying a greater or lesser amount of water vapor than desired the intermittent water valve switch 29 provides a secondary control, a simple adjustment of which enables the necessary correction to be made.

As will be seen from the foregoing the humidifying apparatus herein disclosed, is of marked simplicity, and can be readily installed in any existing heating plant. Although designed primarily for use with thermo-electrically controlled oil or gas burners the apparatus is not limited to such use but is of general application.

While I have described and illustrated a satisfactory installation that has proven highly successful in practical operation, it will beunderstood that the invention is not limited to specific constructional details shown and described, but that many changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination with a furnace having a burner and a thermostatic control therefor, of

a humidifying apparatus comprising a vaporizing drum located within said furnace in juxtaposition to said burner to be subjected to the direct heat thereof, means for supplying water to said drum to be converted therein, into steam, said means including a water valve, electric means for intermittently opening said valve at predetermined intervals, and a means for leading steam from said vaporizer to the atmosphere .to be humidifled and diffusing it into said atmosphere, said electric means being in circuit with and primarily under the control of said thermostatic control.

2. A humidifying apparatus for supplying water vapor to an atmosphere heated by a furnace vcomprising a vaporizing drum adapted to be located in said furnace and subjected to the heat thereof, means for supplying water to said drum including a water Valve and an electric control system for actuating said valve, said control system comprising a primary control automatically responsive to temperature changes in the atmosphere to be humidied and a secondary control connected in series with said primary control for actuating said water valve, said secondary control including means for regulating the amount of water supplied to said drum.

3. The combination with a furnace having a burner and a thermostatic control therefor located in the atmosphere to be heated by said furnace, of a humidifying apparatus comprising a vaporizing drum located within said furnace in juxtaposition to said burner to be subjected to the direct heat thereof, means for supplying water to said drum to be converted therein into steam, said means including a water valve, an electrical control system for actuating said valve,

said control system including primary and secv 

